Teochew
/ˈtiː.oʊ.tʃuː/noun
A Chinese language variety and the people or culture associated with the Chaozhou region of eastern Guangdong, China.
Did you know?Teochew is an English spelling shaped by southern Chinese pronunciation and older Romanization systems, while the same place is commonly written Chaozhou in Mandarin pinyin.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
潮州
“The name of a southeastern Chinese region; literally “tide” plus “prefecture””
6th–10th Century
Middle Chinese
潮州
“A regional administrative name pronounced approximately dzew/drau plus tsyuw”
12th–19th Century
Southern Min / Teochew
Diê-chiu
“The local pronunciation of 潮州, the name of the prefecture”
19th Century
English Romanization
Teochew
“An English spelling used for the local language, people, and regional identity”
20th Century
Mandarin Pinyin
Cháozhōu
“The modern Mandarin romanization of 潮州”
Modern English
English
Teochew
“A language variety and cultural identity associated with Chaozhou and the wider Chaoshan area”
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